Low pollution fuel

ABSTRACT

To provide a low pollution fuel which is capable of fundamentally solving the problem of exhaust gas discharged from trucks, etc. which use light oil, etc. as their fuel, without depending on the conventional symptomatic measures. The low pollution fuel is obtained by blending an ethylene glycol based compound having a CH2CH2 group in a molecule formula with a liquid hydrocarbon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to a low pollution fuel used for diesel engines and the like.

[0003] 2. Related Art

[0004] A diesel engine is used in many automotive vehicles, electric power generating apparatuses and the like. Light oil, heavy oil and the like are used for such a diesel engine as its fuel. The diesel engine, which uses light oil, heavy oil and the like as its fuel, discharges exhaust gas containing a large quantity of noxious matters such as suspended particulate matters, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, aldehydes and the like. Such exhaust gas discharged from the diesel engine often creates the problem of air pollution and various diseases resulting therefrom.

[0005] It is extremely difficult to completely combust the light oil and heavy oil currently used as fuel for the diesel engine by the compression explosion means which is a diesel engine-specific combustion style. This is the reason why the above-mentioned exhaust gas problem occurs.

[0006] An attempt is made with a view to solve the above-mentioned exhaust gas problem, in which various types of exhaust gas processing devices equipped with a filter function and a secondary combustion function are attached to an exhaust gas outlet port. However, this technology still has such shortcomings that performance is degraded due to aging deterioration and the price is high. In addition, too many technical problems are involved and so it is hopeless to efficiently remove the above-mentioned air pollution factors. Therefore, this attempt is not yet successful for fundamentally solving the outstanding problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a low pollution fuel which can take the place of the currently used light oil and heavy oil which are found to be the cause of noxious exhaust matter instead of solving the problem by the above-mentioned symptomatic measures, which is extremely high in combustion efficiency and which is also high in economical efficiency.

[0008] From one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a low pollution fuel in which an ethylene glycol based compound having a group of CH2CH2 in a molecular formula is blended with a liquid hydrocarbon.

[0009] From another aspect of the invention, there is provided a low pollution fuel in which a diethylene glycol based compound having a group of CH2CH2OCH2CH2 in a molecular formula is blended with a liquid hydrocarbon as represented by the light oil and heavy oil.

[0010] From a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a low pollution fuel in which a compound generally expressed by a molecular formula of ROOC—CH═CH—COOR is blended with a liquid hydrocarbon.

[0011] In the above fuel, the ethylene glycol based compound or the diethylene glycol based compound, or the compound generally expressed by the molecular formula of ROOC—CH═CH—COOR is combusted itself while synergistically increasing the effect, thereby remarkably reducing imperfect combustion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention provides an objective low pollution fuel obtained by blending an ethylene glycol based compound having a CH2CH2 group in a molecular formula with a liquid hydrocarbon.

[0013] 1. RO—CH2CH2-OH

[0014] As the above ethylene glycol based compound, the following (1) to (5) generally expressed by the molecular formula of RO—CH2CH2-OH can be exemplified.

[0015] (1) Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether

CH3O—CH2CH2-OH

[0016] (2) Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether

C2H5O—CH2CH2-OH

[0017] (3) Ethylene glycol monopropyl ether

C3H7O—CH2CH2-OH

[0018] (4) Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether

C4H9O—CH2CH2-OH

[0019] (5) Ethylene glycol monopentyl ether

C5H11O—CH2CH2-OH

[0020] The above RO—CH2CH2-OH can be obtained by reacting alcohol (ROH) with ethylene oxide,

[0021] wherein RO is a general expression of an ether group.

[0022] 2. RO—CH2CB2-OR

[0023] As the above ethylene glycol based compound to be blended with the liquid hydrocarbon, the following (1) to (5) generally expressed by the molecular formula of RO—CH2CH2-OR can be exemplified.

[0024] (1) Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether

CH3O—CH2CH2-OCH3

[0025] (2) Ethylene glycol diethyl ether

C2H5O—CH2CH2-OC2H5

[0026] (3) Ethylene glycol dipropyl ether

C3H7O—CH2CH2-OC3H7

[0027] (4) Ethylene glycol dibutyl ether

C4H9O—CH2CH2-OC4H9

[0028] (5) Ethylene glycol dipentyl ether

C5H11O—CH2CH2-OC511

[0029] The RO—CH2CH2-OR of the above (1) to (5) can be obtained by reacting ROR (ether) with ethylene oxide:

[0030] 3. RO—CH2CH2-OR′

[0031] As the above ethylene glycol based compound to be blended with the hydrocarbon, the following (1) to (3) generally expressed by the molecular formula of RO—CH2CH2-OR′ can be exemplified.

[0032] (1) Ethylene glycol methylethyl ether

C2H5O—CH2CH2-OCH3

[0033] (2) Ethylene glycol ethylbutyl ether

C4H9O—CH2CH2-OC2H5

[0034] (3) Ethylene glycol ethylpentyl ether

C5H11O—CH2CH2-OC2H5

[0035] 4. ROOC—CH2CH2-COOR

[0036] As the above ethylene glycol based compound to be blended with the hydrocarbon, the following (1) to (2) generally expressed by the molecular formula of ROOC—CH2CH2-COOR can be exemplified. ROOC and COOR are the general expression of an organic acid group.

[0037] (1) Succinate diethyl

C2H5OOC—CH2CH2-COOC2H5

[0038] (2) Diacetic acid ethylene glycol

CH3OOC—CH2CH2-COOCH3

[0039] From another aspect, the present invention provides an objective low pollution fuel obtained by blending an ethylene glycol based compound having a CH2CH2OCH2CH2 group in a molecular formula with a liquid hydrocarbon.

[0040] 5. RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH

[0041] As the above ethylene glycol based compound, the following (1) to (5) generally expressed by the molecular formula of RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH can be exemplified.

[0042] (1) Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether

CH3O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH

[0043] (2) Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether

C2H5O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH

[0044] (3) Diethylene glycol monopropyl ether

C3H7O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH

[0045] (4) Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether

C4H9O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH

[0046] (5) Diethylene glycol monopentyl ether

C5H11O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH

[0047] The RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH of the above (1) to (5) can be obtained by reacting alcohol (ROH) with ethylene oxide,

[0048] 6. RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OR

[0049] As the above ethylene glycol based compound, the following (1) to (5) generally expressed by the molecular formula of RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OR can be exemplified.

[0050] (1) Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether

CH2CH2OCH2CH2

[0051] (2) Diethylene glycol diethyl ether

C2H5O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OCH2H5

[0052] (3) Diethylene glycol dipropyl ether

C3H7O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OC3H7

[0053] (4) Diethylene glycol dibutyl ether

C4H9O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OC4H9

[0054] (5) Diethylene glycol dipentyl ether

C5H11O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OC5H11

[0055] The RO-CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OR of the above (1) to (5) can be obtained by reacting ether (ROR) with ethylene oxide:

[0056] 7. RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OR′

[0057] As the above ethylene glycol based compound, the following (1) to (3) generally expressed by the molecular formula of RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OR′ can be exemplified.

[0058] (1) Diethylene glycol methylethyl ether

C2H5O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OCH3

[0059] (2) Diethylene glycol ethylbutyl ether

C4H9O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OC2H5

[0060] (3) Diethylene glycol ethylpentyl ether

C5H11O—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OC2H5

[0061] From another aspect, the present invention provides an objective low pollution fuel obtained by blending a compound generally expressed by the molecular formula of ROOC—CH═CH—COOR with a liquid hydrocarbon.

[0062] 8. ROOC—CH═C—COOR

[0063] As the compound generally expressed by the above molecular formula of ROOC—CH═CH—COOR, C2H5OOC—CH═CH—COOC2H5 can be exemplified. ROOC, COOR can be expressed as a hydrocarbon carboxy group.

[0064] The blending ratio of the low pollution fuel will now be described. With respect to the ethylene glycol based compound of (1) to (5) generally expressed by 1. RO—CH2CH2-OH, the ethylene glycol based compound of (1) to (5) generally expressed by 2. RO—CH2CH2-OR, the ethylene glycol based compound of (1) to (3) represented by 3. RO—CH2CH2-OR′ and the ethylene glycol compound of (1) to (2) represented by 4. ROOC—CH2CH2-COOR, it is proper that they are blended in a range of 3 to 20% by weight and the liquid hydrocarbon is blended in a range of 80 to 97% by weight.

[0065] Likewise, with respect to the diethylene glycol based compound of (1) to (5) generally expressed by 5. RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OH, the diethylene glycol based compound of (1) to (5) generally expressed by 6. RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OR, and the diethylene glycol based compound of (1) to (5) represented by 7. RO—CH2CH2OCH2CH2-OR′, it is proper that they are blended in a range of 3 to 20% by weight and the liquid hydrocarbon is blended in a range of 80 to 97% by weight.

[0066] Likewise, with respect to the compound generally expressed by the molecular formula of ROOC—CH═CH—COOR, it is proper that the compound is blended in a range of 3 to 20% by weight and the liquid hydrocarbon is blended in a range of 80 to 97% by weight.

[0067] The liquid hydrocarbon to be blended with the compounds of the above 1 to 8 refers to light oil, heavy oil and kerosene which are currently used as fuel for a diesel engine of automotive vehicles, electric power generating apparatuses and ships.

[0068] Although there were some differences, the fuels of the above (1) to (8) could reduce the exhausted quantity of the suspended particulate matter (PM) contained in the exhaust gas of the light oil, heavy oil and kerosene currently used as fuel for a diesel engine by about 30% to 60%, the exhausted quantity of the nitrogen oxides (NOx) by about 10%, the exhausted quantity of the hydrocarbon (HC) by about 30% to 40% and the exhausted quantity of the carbon monoxides (CO) by about 10% to 20%, respectively.

[0069] The blending ratio between the ethylene glycol based compound and the diethylene glycol based compound is selected in a range of 3 to 20% by weight depending on the types, etc. of the diesel engine for which the present low pollution fuel is used. If the blending ratio extremely exceeds 20%, there is a possibility to render an adverse effect to the output of the diesel engine. In contrast, if the blending ratio is less than 3%, a large reduction of the noxious matters contained in the exhaust gas cannot be expected.

[0070] In the low pollution fuel of the present invention, the ethylene glycol based compound or the diethylene glycol based compound, or the compound generally expressed by the molecular formula of ROOC—CH═CH—COOR is combusted itself while synergistically increasing the combustion efficiency of the liquid hydrocarbon, thereby remarkably reducing imperfect combustion. Thus, the low pollution fuel of the present invention is capable of fundamentally solving the problem of exhaust gas discharged from trucks, etc. which use light oil, etc. as their fuel, without depending on the conventional symptomatic measures. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A low pollution fuel in which an ethylene glycol based compound having a group of CH2CH2 in a molecular formula is blended with a liquid hydrocarbon.
 2. A low pollution fuel in which a diethylene glycol based compound having a group of CH2CH2OCH2CH2 in a molecular formula is blended with a liquid hydrocarbon.
 3. A low pollution fuel in which a compound generally expressed by a molecular formula of ROOC—CH═CH—COOR is blended with a liquid hydrocarbon. 